In 802 AD, Jayavarman II decwared himsewf king, uniting de warring Khmer princes of Chenwa under de name "Kambuja".[9] This marked de beginning of de Khmer Empire which fwourished for over 600 years, awwowing successive kings to controw and exert infwuence over much of Soudeast Asia and accumuwate immense power and weawf. The Indianized kingdom buiwt monumentaw tempwes incwuding Angkor Wat, now a Worwd Heritage Site, and faciwitated de spread of first Hinduism, den Buddhism to much of Soudeast Asia. After de faww of Angkor to Ayutdaya in de 15f century, a reduced and weakened Cambodia was den ruwed as a vassaw state by its neighbours. In 1863 Cambodia became a protectorate of France which doubwed de size of de country by recwaiming de norf and west from Thaiwand.

The country faces numerous chawwenges. Important sociopowiticaw issues incwudes widespread poverty,[10] pervasive corruption,[11] wack of powiticaw freedoms,[12] wow human devewopment,[13] and a high rate of hunger.[14][15][16] Cambodia has been described by Human Rights Watch's Soudeast Asian Director, David Roberts, as a "vaguewy communist free-market state wif a rewativewy audoritarian coawition ruwing over a superficiaw democracy." [17]

Whiwe per capita income remains wow compared to most neighbouring countries, Cambodia has one of de fastest growing economies in Asia wif growf averaging 6 percent over de wast decade. Agricuwture remains de dominant economic sector, wif strong growf in textiwes, construction, garments, and tourism weading to increased foreign investment and internationaw trade.[18] Cambodia scored dismawwy in an annuaw index (2015) ranking de ruwe of waw in 102 countries, pwacing 99f overaww and de worst in de region, uh-hah-hah-hah.[19]

Cambodia awso faces environmentaw destruction as an imminent probwem. The most severe activity in dis regard is considered to be de countrywide deforestation, which awso invowves nationaw parks and wiwdwife sanctuaries. Overaww, environmentaw destruction in Cambodia comprise many different activities, incwuding iwwegaw wogging, poaching of endangered and endemic species, and destruction of important wiwdwife habitats from warge scawe construction projects and agricuwturaw businesses. The degrading activities invowve de wocaw popuwation, Cambodian businesses and powiticaw audorities, as weww as foreign criminaw syndicates and many transnationaw corporations from aww over de worwd.

The "Kingdom of Cambodia" is de officiaw Engwish name of de country. The Engwish "Cambodia" is an angwicisation of de French "Cambodge", which in turn is de French transwiteration of de Khmer Kampuchea. Kampuchea is de shortened awternative to de country's officiaw name in Khmer, Preah Reacheanachak Kampuchea (Khmer: ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា). The Khmer endonymKampuchea derives from de Sanskrit name Kambujadeśa (कम्बोजदेश), composed of देश, desa ("wand of" or "country of") and कम्बोज, Kambujas, which awwudes to de foundation myds of de first ancient Khmer kingdom.[20]

Cowwoqwiawwy, Cambodians refer to deir country as eider Srok Khmer (Khmer pronunciation:[srok kʰmae]), meaning "Khmer's Land", or de swightwy more formaw Prateh Kampuchea (ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា), witerawwy "Country of Kampuchea". The name "Cambodia" is used most often in de Western worwd whiwe "Kampuchea" is more widewy used in de East.[21][22][23]

There exists sparse evidence for a Pweistocene human occupation of present-day Cambodia, which incwudes qwartz and qwartzite pebbwe toows found in terraces awong de Mekong River, in Stung Treng and Kratié provinces, and in Kampot Province, awdough deir dating is unrewiabwe.[26] Some swight archaeowogicaw evidence shows communities of hunter-gaderers inhabited de region during Howocene: de most ancient archaeowogicaw discovery site in Cambodia is considered to be de cave of L'aang Spean, in Battambang Province, which bewongs to de Hoabinhian period. Excavations in its wower wayers produced a series of radiocarbon dates as of 6000 BC.[26][27] Upper wayers in de same site gave evidence of transition to Neowidic, containing de earwiest dated eardenware ceramics in Cambodia[28]

Archaeowogicaw records for de period between Howocene and Iron Age remain eqwawwy wimited. A pivotaw event in Cambodian prehistory was de swow penetration of de first rice farmers from de norf, which began in de wate 3rd miwwennium BC.[29] The most curious prehistoric evidence in Cambodia are de various "circuwar eardworks" discovered in de red soiws near Memot and in de adjacent region of Vietnam in de watter 1950s. Their function and age are stiww debated, but some of dem possibwy date from 2nd miwwennium BC.[30][31]

Oder prehistoric sites of somewhat uncertain date are Samrong Sen (not far from de ancient capitaw of Oudong), where de first investigations began in 1875,[32] and Phum Snay, in de nordern province of Banteay Meanchey.[33] An excavation at Phum Snay reveawed 21 graves wif iron weapons and craniaw trauma which couwd point to confwicts in de past, possibwe wif warger cities in Angkor.[29][34][35] Prehistoric artefacts are often found during mining activities in Ratanakiri.[26]

Iron was worked by about 500 BC, wif supporting evidence coming from de Khorat Pwateau, in modern-day Thaiwand. In Cambodia, some Iron Age settwements were found beneaf Baksei Chamkrong and oder Angkorian tempwes whiwe circuwar eardworks were found beneaf Lovea a few kiwometres norf-west of Angkor. Buriaws, much richer dan oder types of finds, testify to improvement of food avaiwabiwity and trade (even on wong distances: in de 4f century BC trade rewations wif India were awready opened) and de existence of a sociaw structure and wabour organisation, uh-hah-hah-hah. Awso, among de artefacts from de Iron Age, gwass beads are important evidence. Different kinds of gwass beads recovered from severaw sites across Cambodia, such as de Phum Snay site in nordwest and de Prohear site in soudeast, show dat dere were two main trading networks at de time. The two networks were separated by time and space, which indicate dat dere was a shift from one network to de oder at about 2nd–4f century AD, probabwy wif changes in socio-powiticaw powers.[36]

During de 3rd, 4f, and 5f centuries, de Indianised states of Funan and its successor, Chenwa, coawesced in present-day Cambodia and soudwestern Vietnam. For more dan 2,000 years, what was to become Cambodia absorbed infwuences from India, passing dem on to oder Soudeast Asian civiwisations dat are now Thaiwand and Laos.[37] Littwe ewse is known for certain of dese powities, however Chinese chronicwes and tribute records do make mention of dem. It is bewieved dat de territory of Funan may have hewd de port known to Awexandrian geographer Cwaudius Ptowemy as "Kattigara". The Chinese chronicwes suggest dat after Jayavarman I of Chenwa died around 690, turmoiw ensued which resuwted in division of de kingdom into Land Chenwa and Water Chenwa which was woosewy ruwed by weak princes under de dominion of Java.

The Khmer Empire grew out of dese remnants of Chenwa becoming firmwy estabwished in 802 when Jayavarman II (reigned c790-850) decwared independence from Java and procwaimed himsewf a Devaraja. He and his fowwowers instituted de cuwt of de God-king and began a series of conqwests dat formed an empire which fwourished in de area from de 9f to de 15f centuries.[38] During de ruwe of Jayavarman VIII de Angkor empire was attacked by de Mongow army of Kubwai Khan, however de king was abwe to buy peace.[39] Around de 13f century, monks from Sri Lanka introduced Theravada Buddhism to Soudeast Asia.[40] The rewigion spread and eventuawwy dispwaced Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism as de popuwar rewigion of Angkor; however it was not de officiaw state rewigion untiw 1295; when Indravarman III took power.[41]

The Khmer Empire was Soudeast Asia's wargest empire during de 12f century. The empire's centre of power was Angkor, where a series of capitaws were constructed during de empire's zenif. In 2007 an internationaw team of researchers using satewwite photographs and oder modern techniqwes concwuded dat Angkor had been de wargest pre-industriaw city in de worwd wif an urban spraww of 1,150 sqware miwes (2,978 sqware kiwometres).[42] The city, which couwd have supported a popuwation of up to one miwwion peopwe[43] and Angkor Wat, de best known and best-preserved rewigious tempwe at de site, stiww serve as reminders of Cambodia's past as a major regionaw power. The empire, dough in decwine, remained a significant force in de region untiw its faww in de 15f century.

After a wong series of wars wif neighbouring kingdoms, Angkor was sacked by de Ayutdaya Kingdom and abandoned in 1432 because of ecowogicaw faiwure and infrastructure breakdown, uh-hah-hah-hah.[44][45] This wed to a period of economic, sociaw, and cuwturaw stagnation when de kingdom's internaw affairs came increasingwy under de controw of its neighbours. By dis time, de Khmer penchant for monument buiwding had ceased. Owder faids such as Mahayana Buddhism and de Hindu cuwt of de god-king had been suppwanted by Theravada Buddhism.

The court moved de capitaw to Longvek where de kingdom sought to regain its gwory drough maritime trade. The first mention of Cambodia in European documents was in 1511 by de Portuguese. Portuguese travewwers described de city as a pwace of fwourishing weawf and foreign trade. The attempt was short-wived however, as continued wars wif Ayutdaya and de Vietnamese resuwted in de woss of more territory and Longvek being conqwered and destroyed by King Naresuan de Great of Ayutdaya in 1594. A new Khmer capitaw was estabwished at Oudong souf of Longvek in 1618, but its monarchs couwd survive onwy by entering into what amounted to awternating vassaw rewationships wif de Siamese and Vietnamese for de next dree centuries wif onwy a few short-wived periods of rewative independence.

The hiww tribe peopwe in Cambodia were "hunted incessantwy and carried off as swaves by de Siamese (Thai), de Annamites (Vietnamese), and de Cambodians."[46]

In 1863, King Norodom, who had been instawwed by Thaiwand,[9] sought de protection of France from de Thai ruwe. In 1867, de Thai king signed a treaty wif France, renouncing suzerainty over Cambodia in exchange for de controw of Battambang and Siem Reap provinces which officiawwy became part of Thaiwand. The provinces were ceded back to Cambodia by a border treaty between France and Thaiwand in 1907.

Cambodia continued as a protectorate of France from 1867 to 1953, administered as part of de cowony of French Indochina, dough occupied by de Japanese empire from 1941 to 1945.[47] Between 1874 and 1962, de totaw popuwation increased from about 946,000 to 5.7 miwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah.[48] After King Norodom's deaf in 1904, France manipuwated de choice of king, and Sisowaf, Norodom's broder, was pwaced on de drone. The drone became vacant in 1941 wif de deaf of Monivong, Sisowaf's son, and France passed over Monivong's son, Moniref, feewing he was too independentwy minded. Instead, Norodom Sihanouk, a maternaw grandson of King Sisowaf was endroned. The French dought young Sihanouk wouwd be easy to controw.[47] They were wrong, however, and under de reign of King Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953.[47]

Cambodia became a constitutionaw monarchy under King Norodom Sihanouk. When French Indochina was given independence, Cambodia wost hope of regaining controw over de Mekong Dewta as it was awarded to Vietnam. Formerwy part of de Khmer Empire, de area had been controwwed by de Vietnamese since 1698, wif King Chey Chetda II granting Vietnamese permission to settwe in de area decades before.[49] This remains a dipwomatic sticking point wif over one miwwion ednic Khmers (de Khmer Krom) stiww wiving in dis region, uh-hah-hah-hah. The Khmer Rouge attempted invasions to recover de territory which, in part, wed to Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia and deposition of de Khmer Rouge.

In 1955, Sihanouk abdicated in favour of his fader to participate in powitics and was ewected prime minister. Upon his fader's deaf in 1960, Sihanouk again became head of state, taking de titwe of prince. As de Vietnam War progressed, Sihanouk adopted an officiaw powicy of neutrawity in de Cowd War. Sihanouk awwowed de Vietnamese communists to use Cambodia as a sanctuary and a suppwy route for deir arms and oder aid to deir armed forces fighting in Souf Vietnam. This powicy was perceived as humiwiating by many Cambodians. In December 1967 Washington Post journawist Stanwey Karnow was towd by Sihanouk dat if de US wanted to bomb de Vietnamese communist sanctuaries, he wouwd not object, unwess Cambodians were kiwwed.[50]

The same message was conveyed to US President Johnson's emissary Chester Bowwes in January 1968.[51] However, in pubwic Sihanouk refuted de US' right to use air strikes in Cambodia and on 26 March Prince Sihanouk said "dese criminaw attacks must immediatewy and definitivewy stop..." and on 28 March a press conference was hewd and Sihanouk appeawed to de internationaw media "I appeaw to you to pubwicise abroad dis very cwear stand of Cambodia—dat is, I wiww in any case oppose aww bombings on Cambodian territory under whatever pretext." Neverdewess, de pubwic pweas of Sihanouk were ignored and de bombing continued.[52]

Members of de government and army became resentfuw of Sihanouk's ruwing stywe as weww as his tiwt away from de United States.

Whiwe visiting Beijing in 1970 Sihanouk was ousted by a miwitary coup wed by Prime Minister Generaw Lon Now and Prince Sisowaf Sirik Matak. US support for de coup remains unproven, uh-hah-hah-hah.[54] However, once de coup was compweted, de new regime, which immediatewy demanded dat de Vietnamese communists weave Cambodia, gained de powiticaw support of de United States. The Norf Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, desperate to retain deir sanctuaries and suppwy wines from Norf Vietnam, immediatewy waunched armed attacks on de new government. The king urged his fowwowers to hewp in overdrowing dis government, hastening de onset of civiw war.[55]

Soon Khmer Rouge rebews began using him to gain support. However, from 1970 untiw earwy 1972, de Cambodian confwict was wargewy one between de government and army of Cambodia, and de armed forces of Norf Vietnam. As dey gained controw of Cambodian territory, de Vietnamese communists imposed a new powiticaw infrastructure, which was eventuawwy dominated by de Cambodian communists now referred to as de Khmer Rouge.[56] Between 1969 and 1973, Repubwic of Vietnam and US forces bombed Cambodia in an effort to disrupt de Viet Cong and Khmer Rouge.

Documents uncovered from de Soviet archives after 1991 reveaw dat de Norf Vietnamese attempt to overrun Cambodia in 1970 was waunched at de expwicit reqwest of de Khmer Rouge and negotiated by Pow Pot's den second in command, Nuon Chea.[57] NVA units overran many Cambodian army positions whiwe de Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) expanded deir smaww-scawe attacks on wines of communication, uh-hah-hah-hah. In response to de Norf Vietnamese invasion, US President Richard Nixon announced dat US and Souf Vietnamese ground forces had entered Cambodia in a campaign aimed at destroying NVA base areas in Cambodia (see Cambodian Incursion).[58] Awdough a considerabwe qwantity of eqwipment was seized or destroyed by US and Souf Vietnamese forces, containment of Norf Vietnamese forces proved ewusive.

The Khmer Repubwic's weadership was pwagued by disunity among its dree principaw figures: Lon Now, Sihanouk's cousin Sirik Matak, and Nationaw Assembwy weader In Tam. Lon Now remained in power in part because neider of de oders was prepared to take his pwace. In 1972, a constitution was adopted, a parwiament ewected, and Lon Now became president. But disunity, de probwems of transforming a 30,000-man army into a nationaw combat force of more dan 200,000 men, and spreading corruption weakened de civiwian administration and army.

The Communist insurgency inside Cambodia continued to grow, aided by suppwies and miwitary support from Norf Vietnam. Pow Pot and Ieng Sary asserted deir dominance over de Vietnamese-trained communists, many of whom were purged. At de same time, de CPK forces became stronger and more independent of deir Vietnamese patrons. By 1973, de CPK were fighting battwes against government forces wif wittwe or no Norf Vietnamese troop support, and dey controwwed nearwy 60% of Cambodia's territory and 25% of its popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. The government made dree unsuccessfuw attempts to enter into negotiations wif de insurgents, but by 1974, de CPK were operating openwy as divisions, and some of de NVA combat forces had moved into Souf Vietnam. Lon Now's controw was reduced to smaww encwaves around de cities and main transportation routes. More dan 2 miwwion refugees from de war wived in Phnom Penh and oder cities.

On New Year's Day 1975, Communist troops waunched an offensive which, in 117 days of de hardest fighting of de war, cowwapsed de Khmer Repubwic. Simuwtaneous attacks around de perimeter of Phnom Penh pinned down Repubwican forces, whiwe oder CPK units overran fire bases controwwing de vitaw wower Mekong resuppwy route. A US-funded airwift of ammunition and rice ended when Congress refused additionaw aid for Cambodia. The Lon Now government in Phnom Penh surrendered on 17 Apriw 1975, just five (5) days after de US mission evacuated Cambodia.[59]

The Khmer Rouge reached Phnom Penh and took power in 1975. Led by Pow Pot, dey changed de officiaw name of de country to Democratic Kampuchea. The new regime modewwed itsewf on Maoist China during de Great Leap Forward, immediatewy evacuated de cities, and sent de entire popuwation on forced marches to ruraw work projects. They attempted to rebuiwd de country's agricuwture on de modew of de 11f century, discarded Western medicine and destroyed tempwes, wibraries, and anyding considered Western, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Estimates as to how many peopwe were kiwwed by de Khmer Rouge regime range from approximatewy one to dree miwwion; de most commonwy cited figure is two miwwion (about a qwarter of de popuwation).[60][61][62] This era gave rise to de term Kiwwing Fiewds, and de prison Tuow Sweng became notorious for its history of mass kiwwing. Hundreds of dousands fwed across de border into neighbouring Thaiwand. The regime disproportionatewy targeted ednic minority groups. The Cham Muswims suffered serious purges wif as much as hawf of deir popuwation exterminated.[63] Pow Pot was determined to keep his power and disenfranchise any enemies or potentiaw dreats, and dus increased his viowent and aggressive actions against his peopwe.[64]

Choeung Ek, a known site of mass grave for genocide victims during de Khmer Rouge era.

Forced repatriation in 1970 and deads during de Khmer Rouge era reduced de Vietnamese popuwation in Cambodia from between 250,000 and 300,000 in 1969 to a reported 56,000 in 1984.[48] However, most of de victims of de Khmer Rouge regime were not ednic minorities but ednic Khmer. Professionaws, such as doctors, wawyers and teachers, were awso targeted. According to Robert D. Kapwan, "eyegwasses were as deadwy as de yewwow star" as dey were seen as a sign of intewwectuawism.[65]

Rewigious institutions were not spared by de Khmer Rouge as weww, rewigion was so viciouswy persecuted to such a terrifying extent dat de vast majority of Cambodia's historic architecture, 95% of Cambodia's Buddhist tempwes, was compwetewy destroyed.[66]

In November 1978, Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia in response to border raids by de Khmer Rouge.[67] The Peopwe's Repubwic of Kampuchea (PRK), a pro-Soviet state wed by de Kampuchean Peopwe's Revowutionary Party, a party created by de Vietnamese in 1951, and wed by a group of Khmer Rouge who had fwed Cambodia to avoid being purged by Pow Pot and Ta Mok, was estabwished.[cwarification needed][68] It was fuwwy behowden to de occupying Vietnamese army and under direction of de Vietnamese ambassador to Phnom Penh. Its arms came from Vietnam and de Soviet Union, uh-hah-hah-hah.[69]

In opposition to de newwy created state, a government-in-exiwe referred to as de Coawition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (CGDK) was formed in 1981 from dree factions.[69] This consisted of de Khmer Rouge, a royawist faction wed by Sihanouk, and de Khmer Peopwe's Nationaw Liberation Front. Its credentiaws were recognised by de United Nations. The Khmer Rouge representative to de UN, Thiounn Prasif, was retained, but he had to work in consuwtation wif representatives of de noncommunist Cambodian parties.[70][71] The refusaw of Vietnam to widdraw from Cambodia wed to economic sanctions[72] by de US and its awwies.[specify]

In 1993, Norodom Sihanouk was restored as King of Cambodia, but aww power was in de hands of de government estabwished after de UNTAC sponsored ewections. The stabiwity estabwished fowwowing de confwict was shaken in 1997 by a coup d'état wed by de co-Prime Minister Hun Sen against de non-communist parties in de government.[74] In recent years, reconstruction efforts have progressed and wed to some powiticaw stabiwity drough a muwtiparty democracy under a constitutionaw monarchy.[1]

In Juwy 2010, Kang Kek Iew was de first Khmer Rouge member found guiwty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in his rowe as de former commandant of de S21 extermination camp and he was sentenced to wife in prison, uh-hah-hah-hah.[75][76] However, Hun Sen has opposed extensive triaws of former Khmer Rouge mass murderers.[77]

In August 2014, a U.N.-backed war crimes tribunaw, de Extraordinary Chambers in de Courts of Cambodia (awso known as de Khmer Rouge Tribunaw), sentenced Khieu Samphan, de regime's 83-year-owd former head of state, and Nuon Chea, its 88-year-owd chief ideowogue to wife in prison on war crimes charges for deir rowe in de country's terror period in de 1970s. The triaw began in November 2011. Former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary died in 2013, whiwe his wife, Sociaw Affairs Minister Ieng Thirif, was deemed unfit to stand triaw due to dementia in 2012. The group's top weader, Pow Pot, died in 1998.

Cambodia has an area of 181,035 sqware kiwometres (69,898 sqware miwes) and wies entirewy widin de tropics, between watitudes 10° and 15°N, and wongitudes 102° and 108°E. It borders Thaiwand to de norf and west, Laos to de nordeast, and Vietnam to de east and soudeast. It has a 443-kiwometre (275-miwe) coastwine awong de Guwf of Thaiwand.

Cambodia's wandscape is characterised by a wow-wying centraw pwain dat is surrounded by upwands and wow mountains and incwudes de Tonwe Sap (Great Lake) and de upper reaches of de Mekong River dewta. Extending outward from dis centraw region are transitionaw pwains, dinwy forested and rising to ewevations of about 650 feet (200 metres) above sea wevew.

To de norf de Cambodian pwain abuts a sandstone escarpment, which forms a soudward-facing cwiff stretching more dan 200 miwes (320 kiwometres) from west to east and rising abruptwy above de pwain to heights of 600 to 1,800 feet (180–550 metres). This cwiff marks de soudern wimit of de Dângrêk Mountains.

Fwowing souf drough de country's eastern regions is de Mekong River. East of de Mekong de transitionaw pwains graduawwy merge wif de eastern highwands, a region of forested mountains and high pwateaus dat extend into Laos and Vietnam. In soudwestern Cambodia two distinct upwand bwocks, de Krâvanh Mountains and de Dâmrei Mountains, form anoder highwand region dat covers much of de wand area between de Tonwe Sap and de Guwf of Thaiwand.

In dis remote and wargewy uninhabited area, Phnom Auraw, Cambodia's highest peak rises to an ewevation of 5,949 feet (1,813 metres). The soudern coastaw region adjoining de Guwf of Thaiwand is a narrow wowwand strip, heaviwy wooded and sparsewy popuwated, which is isowated from de centraw pwain by de soudwestern highwands.

The most distinctive geographicaw feature is de inundations of de Tonwe Sap (Great Lake), measuring about 2,590 sqware kiwometres (1,000 sqware miwes) during de dry season and expanding to about 24,605 sqware kiwometres (9,500 sqware miwes) during de rainy season, uh-hah-hah-hah. This densewy popuwated pwain, which is devoted to wet rice cuwtivation, is de heartwand of Cambodia. Much of dis area has been designated as a biosphere reserve.

Cambodia's cwimate, wike dat of de rest of Soudeast Asia, is dominated by monsoons, which are known as tropicaw wet and dry because of de distinctwy marked seasonaw differences.

Cambodia has a temperature range from 21 to 35 °C (69.8 to 95.0 °F) and experiences tropicaw monsoons. Soudwest monsoons bwow inwand bringing moisture-waden winds from de Guwf of Thaiwand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The nordeast monsoon ushers in de dry season, which wasts from November to Apriw. The country experiences de heaviest precipitation from September to October wif de driest period occurring from January to February.

Cambodia has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures drop to 22 °C (71.6 °F) and is generawwy accompanied wif high humidity. The dry season wasts from November to Apriw when temperatures can rise up to 40 °C (104 °F) around Apriw. Disastrous fwooding occurred in 2001 and again in 2002, wif some degree of fwooding awmost every year.[80]

Cambodia has a bad but improving performance in de gwobaw Environmentaw Performance Index (EPI) wif an overaww ranking of 146 out of 180 countries in 2016. This is among de worst in de Soudeast Asian region, onwy ahead of Laos and Myanmar. The EPI was estabwished in 2001 by de Worwd Economic Forum as a gwobaw gauge to measure how weww individuaw countries perform in impwementing de United Nations' Sustainabwe Devewopment Goaws. The environmentaw areas where Cambodia performs worst (i.e. highest ranking) are air qwawity (148), water resource management (140) and heawf impacts of environmentaw issues (137), wif de areas of sanitation, environmentaw impacts of fisheries and forest management fowwowing cwosewy. Cambodia performs best when it comes to handwing de nitrogen bawance in de agricuwturaw industry specificawwy, an area where Cambodia excews and are among de best in de worwd. In addition, Cambodia has an unusuawwy warge area of wiwdwife protections, bof on wand and at sea, wif de wand-based protections covering about 20% of de country. This secures Cambodia a better dan average ranking of 61 in rewation to biodiversity and habitat, even dough iwwegaw wogging, construction and poaching are heaviwy deteriorating dese protections and habitats in reawity.[84][85][86]

The rate of deforestation in Cambodia is one of de highest in de worwd and it is often perceived as de most destructive, singuwar environmentaw issue in de country.[86] Cambodia's primary forest cover feww from over 70% in 1969 to just 3.1% in 2007. In totaw, Cambodia wost 25,000 km2 (9,700 sq mi) of forest between 1990 and 2005 – 3,340 km2 (1,290 sq mi) of which was primary forest. Since 2007, wess dan 3,220 km2 (1,243 sq mi) of primary forest remain wif de resuwt dat de future sustainabiwity of de forest reserves of Cambodia is under severe dreat.[87][88] In 2010–2015, de annuaw rate of deforestation was 1.3%. The environmentaw degradation awso incwudes nationaw parks and wiwdwife sanctuaries on a warge scawe and many endangered and endemic species are now dreatened wif extinction due to woss of habitats. There are many reasons for de deforestation in Cambodia, which range from opportunistic iwwegaw woggings to warge scawe cwearings from big construction projects and agricuwturaw activities. The gwobaw issue of wand grabbing is particuwarwy rampant in Cambodia. The deforestation invowves de wocaw popuwation, Cambodian businesses and audorities as weww as transnationaw corporations from aww over de worwd.[89][90]

Pwans for hydroewectric devewopment in de Greater Mekong Subregion, by Laos in particuwar, pose a "reaw danger to de food suppwy of Vietnam and Cambodia. Upstream dams wiww imperiw de fish stocks dat provide de vast majority of Cambodia's protein and couwd awso denude de Mekong River of de siwt Vietnam needs for its rice basket." The rich fisheries of Tonwe Sap, de wargest freshwater wake in Soudeast Asia, wargewy suppwy de impoverished country's protein, uh-hah-hah-hah. The wake is unusuaw: It aww but disappears in de dry season and den expands massivewy as water fwow from de Mekong backs up when de rains come. "Those fish are so important for deir wivewihoods, bof economicawwy and nutritionawwy," said Gordon Howtgrieve, a professor at de University of Washington who researches Cambodia's freshwater fish and he points out dat none of de dams dat are eider buiwt or being buiwt on de Mekong river "are pointing at good outcomes for de fisheries."[91]

In de 2010s, de Cambodian government and educationaw system has increased its invowvement and co-operation wif bof nationaw and internationaw environmentaw groups.[92][93][94] A new Nationaw Environmentaw Strategy and Action Pwan (NESAP) for Cambodia is to be impwemented from wate 2016 to 2023 and contains new ideas for how to incite a green and environmentawwy sustainabwe growf for de country.[95]

Officiawwy a muwtiparty democracy, in reawity "de country remains a one-party state dominated by de Cambodian Peopwe's Party and Prime Minister Hun Sen, a recast Khmer Rouge officiaw in power since 1985. The open doors to new investment during his reign have yiewded de most access to a coterie of cronies of his and his wife, Bun Rany."[96] Cambodia's government has been described by de Human Rights Watch’s Soudeast Asian director, David Roberts, as a "vaguewy communist free-market state wif a rewativewy audoritarian coawition ruwing over a superficiaw democracy."[17]

Prime Minister Hun Sen has vowed to ruwe untiw he is 74.[97][98] He is a former Khmer Rouge member who defected. His government is reguwarwy accused of ignoring human rights and suppressing powiticaw dissent. The 2013 ewection resuwts were disputed by Hun Sen's opposition, weading to demonstrations in de capitaw. Demonstrators were injured and kiwwed in Phnom Penh where a reported 20,000 protesters gadered, wif some cwashing wif riot powice.[99] From a humbwe farming background, Hun Sen was just 33 when he took power in 1985, and is by some considered a wong ruwing dictator.[100]

On 14 October 2004, King Norodom Sihamoni was sewected by a speciaw nine-member Throne Counciw, part of a sewection process dat was qwickwy put in pwace after de abdication of King Norodom Sihanouk a week prior. Sihamoni's sewection was endorsed by Prime Minister Hun Sen and Nationaw Assembwy Speaker Prince Norodom Ranariddh (de king's hawf-broder and current chief advisor), bof members of de drone counciw. He was endroned in Phnom Penh on 29 October 2004.

Hun Sen and his government have seen much controversy. Hun Sen was a former Khmer Rouge commander who was originawwy instawwed by de Vietnamese and, after de Vietnamese weft de country, maintains his strong man position by viowence and oppression when deemed necessary.[102] In 1997, fearing de growing power of his co–prime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Hun waunched a coup, using de army to purge Ranariddh and his supporters. Ranariddh was ousted and fwed to Paris whiwe oder opponents of Hun Sen were arrested, tortured, and some summariwy executed.[102][103]

In addition to powiticaw oppression, de Cambodian government has been accused of corruption in de sawe of vast areas of wand to foreign investors resuwting in de eviction of dousands of viwwagers[104] as weww as taking bribes in exchange for grants to expwoit Cambodia's oiw weawf and mineraw resources.[105] Cambodia is consistentwy wisted as one of de most corrupt governments in de worwd.[106][107][108]Amnesty Internationaw currentwy recognises one prisoner of conscience in de country: 33-year-owd wand rights activist Yorm Bopha.[109]

Journawists covering a protest over disputed ewection resuwts in Phnom Penh on 22 September 2013 say dey were dewiberatewy attacked by powice and men in pwain cwodes, wif swingshots and stun guns. The attack against de president of de Overseas Press Cwub of Cambodia, Rick Vawenzuewa, was captured on video. The viowence came amid powiticaw tensions as de opposition boycotted de opening of Parwiament due to concerns about ewectoraw fraud. Seven reporters sustained minor injuries whiwe at weast two Cambodian protesters were hit by swingshot projectiwes and hospitawized.[110]

The wevew of corruption in Cambodia exceeds most countries in de worwd. Despite adopting an 'Anti-Corruption Law' in 2010, corruption prevaiws droughout de country. Corruption affects de judiciary, de powice and oder state institutions. Favouritism by government officiaws and impunity is commonpwace. Lack of a cwear distinction between de courts and de executive branch of government awso makes for a deep powiticisation of de judiciaw system.[111]

Exampwes of areas where Cambodians encounter corrupt practices in deir everyday wives incwude obtaining medicaw services, deawing wif awweged traffic viowations, and pursuing fair court verdicts. Companies deaw wif extensive red tape when obtaining wicenses and permits, especiawwy construction rewated permits, and de demand for and suppwy of bribes are commonpwace in dis process. The 2010 Anti-Corruption Law provided no protection to whistwe-bwowers, and whistwe-bwowers can be jaiwed for up to 6 monds if dey report corruption dat cannot be proven, uh-hah-hah-hah.[111]

Cambodia has estabwished dipwomatic rewations wif numerous countries; de government reports twenty embassies in de country[112] incwuding many of its Asian neighbours and dose of important pwayers during de Paris peace negotiations, incwuding de US, Austrawia, Canada, China, de European Union (EU), Japan, and Russia.[113] As a resuwt of its internationaw rewations, various charitabwe organisations have assisted wif sociaw, economic, and civiw infrastructure needs.

Whiwe de viowent ruptures of de 1970s and 1980s have passed, severaw border disputes between Cambodia and its neighbours persist. There are disagreements over some offshore iswands and sections of de boundary wif Vietnam and undefined maritime boundaries. Cambodian and Thaiwand awso has border disputes, wif troops cwashing over wand immediatewy adjacent to de Preah Vihear tempwe in particuwar, weading to a deterioration in rewations. Most of de territory bewongs to Cambodia, but a combination of Thaiwand disrespecting internationaw waw, Thai troop upbuiwd in de area and wack of resources for de Cambodian miwitary have weft de situation unsettwed since 1962.[114][115]

Cambodia and China have cuwtivated ties in de 2010s. A Chinese company wif de support of de Peopwe's Liberation Army buiwt a deep-water seaport awong 90 km stretch of Cambodian coastwine of de Guwf of Thaiwand in Koh Kong province; de port is sufficientwy deep to be used by cruise ships, buwk carriers or warships. Cambodia's dipwomatic support has been invawuabwe to Beijing's effort to cwaim disputed areas in de Souf China Sea. Because Cambodia is a member of ASEAN, and because under ASEAN ruwes "de objections of one member can dwart any group initiative," Cambodia is dipwomaticawwy usefuw to China as a counterweight to soudeast Asian nations dat have cwoser ties to de United States.[116]

The introduction of a revised command structure earwy in 2000 was a key prewude to de reorganisation of de Cambodian miwitary. This saw de defence ministry form dree subordinate generaw departments responsibwe for wogistics and finance, materiaws and technicaw services, and defence services under de High Command Headqwarters (HCHQ).

The minister of Nationaw Defense is Generaw Tea Banh. Banh has served as defence minister since 1979. The Secretaries of State for Defense are Chay Saing Yun and Por Bun Sreu.

Hun Sen has accumuwated highwy centrawised power in Cambodia, incwuding a praetorian guard dat 'appears to rivaw de capabiwities of de country's reguwar miwitary units', and is awwegedwy used by Hun Sen to qweww powiticaw opposition, uh-hah-hah-hah.'[117]

A US State Department report says "forces under Hun Sen and de Cambodian Peopwe's Party have committed freqwent and warge-scawe abuses, incwuding extrajudiciaw kiwwings and torture, wif impunity".[118] Events of 2013. Amnesty Internationaw and de Cambodian Center for Human Rights, wocated in Cambodia, awso raised 'impunity' as a concern, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Impunity for perpetrators of human rights abuses and wack of an independent judiciary remained serious probwems," Amnesty's 2012 Annuaw Report said. Since June, NGOs reported dat audorities "abused at weast 30 prisoners – 29 whiwe in powice custody and one in prison, uh-hah-hah-hah. Kicking, punching and pistow whipping were de most common medods of reported physicaw abuse, but ewectric shock, suffocation, caning and whipping wif wires were awso used." The US State Department report says "powiticized and ineffective judiciary is one of de country's key human rights abuses." That report says "de government generawwy does not respect judiciaw independence, and dat dere has been widespread corruption among judges, prosecutors and court officiaws."[119]

Forced wand evictions by senior officiaws, security forces, and government-connected business weaders are commonpwace in Cambodia. Land has been confiscated from hundreds of dousands of Cambodians over more dan a decade for de purpose of sewf-enrichment and maintaining power of various groups of speciaw interests. Credibwe non-governmentaw organisations estimate dat "770,000 peopwe have been adversewy affected by wand grabbing covering at weast four miwwion hectares (nearwy 10 miwwion acres) of wand dat have been confiscated," says Paris-based Internationaw Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).[120]

Across Cambodia, audorities routinewy detain awweged drug users, homewess peopwe, "street" chiwdren, sex workers, and peopwe perceived to have disabiwities in a "haphazard system of detention centers around de country". Some of dose detention centres are ostensibwy for drug treatment, whiwe oders are ostensibwy for "sociaw rehabiwitation". In addition to Prey Speu, de Ministry of Sociaw Affairs awso has audority for de Phnom Bak centre in Sisophon town, Banteay Meanchey province, and manages a drug detention centre wif de miwitary on a miwitary base in Koh Kong town, Koh Kong province. There are "a furder six drug detention centers" in Cambodia "dat each year howd at weast 2,000 peopwe widout due process".[121]

There are documented cases in Cambodia of peopwe committing murder and den paying state officiaws so as not to be prosecuted. "Impunity enjoyed by de rich and powerfuw hewps expwain a wack of pubwic trust in Cambodia's judiciaw and waw enforcement institutions."[122]

The capitaw (reach dani) and provinces (khaet) of Cambodia are first-wevew administrative divisions. Cambodia is divided into 25 provinces incwuding de capitaw.

Municipawities and districts are de second-wevew administrative divisions of Cambodia. The provinces are subdivided into 159 districts and 26 municipawities. The districts and municipawities in turn are furder divided into communes (khum) and qwarters (sangkat).

In 2016 Cambodia's per capita income is $3,735 in PPP and $1,227 in nominaw per capita. Cambodia graduated from de status of a Least Devewoped Country to a Lower Middwe Income country in de same year 2016. Most ruraw househowds depend on agricuwture and its rewated sub-sectors. Rice, fish, timber, garments and rubber are Cambodia's major exports. The Internationaw Rice Research Institute (IRRI) reintroduced more dan 750 traditionaw rice varieties to Cambodia from its rice seed bank in de Phiwippines.[123] These varieties had been cowwected in de 1960s.

Based on de Economist, IMF: Annuaw average GDP growf for de period 2001–2010 was 7.7% making it one of de worwd's top ten countries wif de highest annuaw average GDP growf. Tourism was Cambodia's fastest growing industry, wif arrivaws increasing from 219,000 in 1997 to over 2 miwwion in 2007. In 2004, infwation was at 1.7% and exports at $1.6 biwwion US$.

"Two decades of economic growf have hewped make Cambodia a gwobaw weader in reducing poverty. The success story means de Soudeast Asian nation dat overcame a vicious civiw war now is cwassified as a wower-middwe income economy by de Worwd Bank Group (WBG). Among 69 countries dat have comparabwe data, Cambodia ranked fourf in terms of de fastest poverty reduction in de worwd from 2004–2008. (See more detaiws of Cambodia's achievements on poverty reduction, uh-hah-hah-hah. The poverty rate feww to 10 percent in 2013, and furder reduction of poverty is expected for bof urban and ruraw househowds droughout 2015–2016. However, human devewopment, particuwarwy in de areas of heawf and education, remains an important chawwenge and devewopment priority for Cambodia" [125]

Oiw and naturaw gas deposits found beneaf Cambodia's territoriaw waters in 2005 yiewd great potentiaw but remain mostwy untapped, due in part to territoriaw disputes wif Thaiwand.[126][127]

The Nationaw Bank of Cambodia is de centraw bank of de kingdom and provides reguwatory oversight to de country's banking sector and is responsibwe in part for increasing de foreign direct investment in de country. Between 2010 and 2012 de number of reguwated banks and micro-finance institutions increased from 31 covered entities to over 70 individuaw institutions underwining de growf widin de Cambodian banking and finance sector.

In 2012, Credit Bureau Cambodia was estabwished wif direct reguwatory oversight by de Nationaw Bank of Cambodia.[128] The Credit Bureau furder increases de transparency and stabiwity widin de Cambodian Banking Sector as aww banks and microfinance companies are now reqwired by waw to report accurate facts and figures rewating to woan performance in de country.

One of de wargest chawwenges facing Cambodia is stiww de fact dat de owder popuwation often wacks education, particuwarwy in de countryside, which suffers from a wack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed powiticaw instabiwity and corruption widin de government discourage foreign investment and deway foreign aid, awdough dere has been significant aid from biwateraw and muwtiwateraw donors. Donors pwedged $504 miwwion to de country in 2004,[1] whiwe de Asian Devewopment Bank awone has provided $850 miwwion in woans, grants, and technicaw assistance.[129] Bribes are often demanded from companies operating in Cambodia when obtaining wicences and permits, such as construction-rewated permits.[130]

Cambodia ranked among de worst pwaces in de worwd for organised wabour in de 2015 Internationaw Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Gwobaw Rights Index, wanding in de category of countries wif "no guarantee of rights".'[131]

In Apriw 2016 Cambodia's Nationaw Assembwy has adopted a Law on Trade Unions. "The waw was proposed at a time when workers have been staging sustained protests in factories and in de streets demanding wage increases and improvements in deir working conditions".[132] The concerns about Cambodia's new waw are shared not onwy by wabour and rights groups, but internationaw organisations more generawwy. The Internationaw Labor Organization Country Office for Thaiwand, Cambodia and Lao PDR, has noted dat de waw has "severaw key concerns and gaps".[133] Independent unions and empwoyers remain as divided as ever. "How can a factory wif 25 unions survive?" asked Van Sou Ieng, chairman of de Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), adding dat it was incomprehensibwe to expect an empwoyer to negotiate a dispute wif 25 different union weaders. A waw was necessary to rein in de country's unions, Van Sou Ieng said. According to GMAC, wast year dere were 3,166 unions for de more dan 500,000 workers empwoyed in de country's 557 garment and textiwe exporting factories, and 58 footwear factories. Though garment production is awready Cambodia's wargest industry, which accounts for 26.2 percent of de country's Gross Domestic Product, Van Sou Ieng said widout de trade union waw, foreign investors wiww not come to do business".[134]

"Onwy wif de trade union waw wiww we, empwoyers, be abwe to survive…. not onwy Cambodia, every country has trade union waw. Those who criticize [de waw] shouwd do businesses, and [den] dey wiww understand."

The garment industry represents de wargest portion of Cambodia's manufacturing sector, accounting for 80% of de country's exports. In 2012, de exports grew to $4.61 biwwion up 8% over 2011. In de first hawf of 2013, de garment industry reported exports worf $1.56 biwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah.[135] The sector empwoys 335,400 workers, of which 91% are femawe.

The tourism industry is de country's second-greatest source of hard currency after de textiwe industry.[73] Between January and December 2007, visitor arrivaws were 2.0 miwwion, an increase of 18.5% over de same period in 2006. Most visitors (51%) arrived drough Siem Reap wif de remainder (49%) drough Phnom Penh and oder destinations.[136]

Oder tourist destinations incwude Sihanoukviwwe in de souf west which has severaw popuwar beaches and de sweepy riverside town of Battambang in de norf west, bof of which are a popuwar stop for backpackers who make up a warge of portion of visitors to Cambodia.[137] The area around Kampot and Kep incwuding de Bokor Hiww Station are awso of interest to visitors. Tourism has increased steadiwy each year in de rewativewy stabwe period since de 1993 UNTAC ewections; in 1993 dere were 118,183 internationaw tourists, and in 2009 dere were 2,161,577 internationaw tourists.[138]

Most of de tourists were Japanese, Chinese, Fiwipinos, Americans, Souf Koreans and French, said de report, adding dat de industry earned some 1.4 biwwion US dowwars in 2007, accounting for awmost ten percent of de kingdom's gross nationaw product. Chinese-wanguage newspaper Jianhua Daiwy qwoted industry officiaws as saying dat Cambodia wiww have dree miwwion foreign tourist arrivaws in 2010 and five miwwion in 2015. Tourism has been one of Cambodia's tripwe piwwar industries. The Angkor Wat historicaw park in Siem Reap province, de beaches in Sihanoukviwwe and de capitaw city Phnom Penh are de main attractions for foreign tourists.[139]

Cambodia's reputation as a safe destination for tourism however has been hindered by civiw and powiticaw unrest [140][141][142] and muwtipwe high-profiwe exampwes of serious crime perpetrated against tourists visiting de Kingdom.[143][144][145]

Cambodia's tourist souvenir industry empwoys a wot of peopwe around de main pwaces of interest. Obviouswy, de qwantity of souvenirs dat are produced is not sufficient to face de increasing number of tourists and a majority of products sowd to de tourists on de markets are imported from China, Thaiwand and Vietnam.[146] Some of de wocawwy produced souvenirs incwude:

Agricuwture is de traditionaw mainstay of de Cambodian economy. Agricuwture accounted for 90 percent of GDP in 1985 and empwoyed approximatewy 80 percent of de work force. Rice is de principaw commodity.

The civiw war and negwect severewy damaged Cambodia's transport system. Wif assistance from oder countries Cambodia has been upgrading de main highways to internationaw standards and most are vastwy improved from 2006. Most main roads are now paved.

Cambodia has two raiw wines, totawwing about 612 kiwometres (380 miwes) of singwe, one-metre (3-foot-3-inch) gauge track.[149] The wines run from de capitaw to Sihanoukviwwe on de soudern coast. Trains are again running to and from de Cambodian capitaw and popuwar destinations in de souf. After 14 years, reguwar raiw services between de two cities restarted in May – offering a safer option dan road for travewers aiming for some beach time.[150] Trains awso run from Phnom Penh to Sisophon (awdough trains often run onwy as far as Battambang). As of 1987, onwy one passenger train per week operated between Phnom Penh and Battambang but a $141 miwwion project, funded mostwy by de Asian Devewopment Bank, has been started to revitawise de wanguishing raiw system dat wiww "(interwink) Cambodia wif major industriaw and wogistics centers in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City".[149]

Besides de main interprovinciaw traffic artery connecting Phnom Penh wif Sihanoukviwwe, resurfacing a former dirt road wif concrete / asphawt and impwementation of 5 major river crossings by means of bridges have now permanentwy connected Phnom Penh wif Koh Kong, and hence dere is now uninterrupted road access to neighbouring Thaiwand and deir vast road system.

Cambodia's road traffic accident rate is high by worwd standards. In 2004, de number of road fatawities per 10,000 vehicwes was ten times higher in Cambodia dan in de devewoped worwd, and de number of road deads had doubwed in de preceding dree years.[151]

Cambodia has two major ports, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukviwwe, and five minor ones. Phnom Penh, wocated at de junction of de Bassac, de Mekong, and de Tonwe Sap rivers, is de onwy river port capabwe of receiving 8,000-ton ships during de wet season and 5,000-ton ships during de dry season, uh-hah-hah-hah. Wif increasing economic activity has come an increase in automobiwe and motorcycwe use, dough bicycwes stiww predominate.[153] "Cycwo" (as hand-me-down French) or Cycwe rickshaws are an additionaw option often used by visitors. These kind of rickshaws are uniqwe to Cambodia in dat de cycwist is situated behind de passenger(s) seat,[154] as opposed to Cycwe rickshaws in neighbouring countries where de cycwist is at de front and "puwws" de carriage.

The wevew of access to water suppwy in ruraw areas is wow (66% in 2012) compared to rewativewy high access to an Improved water source in urban areas (94%).[155] Widin de government, urban water suppwy powicy is de responsibiwity of de Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy. Service provision in urban areas is de responsibiwity of two water utiwities in de wargest cities, de Phnom Penh Water Suppwy Audority (PPWSA) and de Siem Reap Water Suppwy Audority (SRWSA), 11 Provinciaw Water Suppwy Audorities (known as PWWKs) as weww as 147 smawwer utiwities. The Department of Ruraw Water Suppwy (DRWS) and Department of Ruraw Heawf Care (DRHC) of de Ministry of Ruraw Devewopment are responsibwe for ruraw water suppwy for de smawwer towns and viwwages wif wess dan 1,000 househowds.[156]

As of 2016[update], Cambodia has an estimated popuwation of 15,762,370 peopwe. Cambodia's birf rate is 25.4 per 1,000. Its popuwation growf rate is 1.7%.[157]

Fifty percent of de Cambodian popuwation is younger dan 22 years owd. At a 1.04 femawe to mawe ratio, Cambodia has de most femawe-biased sex ratio in de Greater Mekong Subregion, uh-hah-hah-hah.[158] Among de Cambodian popuwation aged over 65, de femawe to mawe ratio is 1.6:1.[1]

The totaw fertiwity rate in Cambodia was 3.0 chiwdren per woman in 2010.[159] The fertiwity rate was 4.0 chiwdren in 2000.[159] Women in urban areas have 2.2 chiwdren on average, compared wif 3.3 chiwdren per woman in ruraw areas.[159] Fertiwity is highest in Mondow Kiri and Rattanak Kiri Provinces, where women have an average of 4.5 chiwdren, and wowest in Phnom Penh where women have an average of 2.0 chiwdren, uh-hah-hah-hah.[159]

The wargest ednic group in Cambodia are de Khmers, who comprise around 90% of de totaw popuwation in Cambodia, and are indigenous to de wowwand Mekong subregion in which dey inhabit. The Khmers historicawwy have wived near de wower Mekong River in a contiguous diagonaw arc, from where modern-day Thaiwand, Laos and Cambodia meet in de nordwest, aww de way to de mouf of de Mekong River in soudeastern Vietnam.

The Vietnamese are de second wargest ednic minority in Cambodia, wif an estimated 16,000 wiving in provinces concentrated in de soudeast of de country adjacent to de Mekong Dewta. Awdough de Vietnamese wanguage has been determined to be a Mon–Khmer wanguage, dere are very few cuwturaw connections between de two peopwes because de earwy Khmers were infwuenced by de Indian cuwturaw sphere whiwe de Vietnamese are part of de Chinese cuwturaw sphere.[160] Ednic tensions between de Khmer and de Vietnamese can be traced to de Dark Ages of Cambodia (from de 16f to 19f centuries), during which time a nascent Vietnam and Thaiwand each attempted to vassawise a weakened post-Angkor Cambodia, and effectivewy dominate aww of Indochina.[160]

Chinese Cambodians are approximatewy 0.1% of de popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[157][161] Most Chinese are descended from 19f–20f century settwers who came in search of trade and commerce opportunities during de time of de French protectorate. Most are urban dwewwers, engaged primariwy in commerce.

The indigenous ednic groups of de mountains are known cowwectivewy as Montagnards or Khmer Loeu, a term meaning "Highwand Khmer". They are descended from neowidic migrations of Mon–Khmer speakers via soudern China and Austronesian speakers from insuwar Soudeast Asia. Being isowated in de highwands, de various Khmer Loeu groups were not Indianized wike deir Khmer cousins and conseqwentwy are cuwturawwy distant from modern Khmers and often from each oder, observing many pre-Indian-contact customs and bewiefs.

The Cham are descended from de Austronesian peopwe of Champa, a former kingdom on de coast of centraw and soudern present-day Vietnam and former rivaw to de Khmer Empire. The Cham in Cambodia number under a miwwion and often maintain separate viwwages in de soudeast of de country. Awmost aww Cham in Cambodia are Muswims.

The Khmer wanguage is a member of de Mon–Khmer subfamiwy of de Austroasiatic wanguage group. French, once de wanguage of government in Indochina, is stiww spoken by many owder Cambodians, and is awso de wanguage of instruction in some schoows and universities dat are funded by de government of France. There is awso a French-wanguage newspaper and some TV channews are avaiwabwe in French. Cambodia is a member of La Francophonie. Cambodian French, a remnant of de country's cowoniaw past, is a diawect found in Cambodia and is sometimes used in government, particuwarwy in court. However, since 1993, dere has been a growing use of Engwish, dat has been repwacing French as de main foreign wanguage. Engwish is widewy taught in severaw universities and dere is awso a significant press in dat wanguage, whiwe street signs are now biwinguaw in Khmer and Engwish.[163] Due to dis shift, Engwish is now mostwy used in Cambodia's internationaw rewationships and has repwaced French bof in Cambodia's stamps, since 2002, and currency.[164]

Key concepts deriving from animism incwude de cwose interrewationship between spirits and de community, de efficacy of apotropaic and wuck-attracting actions and charms, and de possibiwity of manipuwating one's wife drough contact wif spirituaw entities such as de "baromey" spirits. Hinduism has weft wittwe trace beyond de magicaw practices of Tantricism and a host of Hindu gods now assimiwated into de spirit worwd (for exampwe, de important neak ta spirit cawwed Yeay Mao is de modern avatar of de Hindu goddess Kawi).

Mahayana Buddhism is de rewigion of de majority of Chinese and Vietnamese in Cambodia. Ewements of oder rewigious practices, such as de veneration of fowk heroes and ancestors, Confucianism, and Taoism mix wif Chinese Buddhism are awso practised.

Iswam is fowwowed by about 2% of de popuwation and comes in dree varieties, two practised by de Cham peopwe and a dird by de descendants of Maways resident in de country for generations. Cambodia's Muswim popuwation is reported to be 80% ednic Cham.[167]

Cambodian wife expectancy was 72 years in 2014,[168] a major improvement since 1999 when de average wife expectancy was 49.8 and 46.8[cwarification needed][citation needed]. Heawf care is offered by bof pubwic and private practitioners and research has found dat trust in heawf providers is a key factor in improving de uptake of heawf care services in ruraw Cambodia.[169] The government pwans to increase de qwawity of heawdcare in de country by raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, mawaria, and oder diseases.

Cambodia's infant mortawity rate has decreased from 115 per 1,000 wive birds in 1993 to 54 in 2009. In de same period, de under-five mortawity rate decreased from 181 to 115 per 1,000 wive birds.[170] In de province wif worst heawf indicators, Ratanakiri, 22.9% of chiwdren die before age five.[171]

Cambodia was once one of de most wandmined countries in de worwd. According to some estimates, unexpwoded wand mines have been responsibwe for over 60,000 civiwian deads and dousands more maimed or injured since 1970.[172] The number of reported wandmine casuawties has sharpwy decreased, from 800 in 2005 to 111 in 2013 (22 dead and 89 injured).[173] Aduwts dat survive wandmines often reqwire amputation of one or more wimbs and have to resort to begging for survivaw.[172] Cambodia is expected to be free of wand mines by 2020[174] but de sociaw and economic wegacy, incwuding orphans and one in 290 peopwe being an amputee,[175] is expected to affect Cambodia for years to come.

"In Cambodia, wandmines and expwoded ordnance awone have caused 44,630 injuries between 1979 and 2013, according to de Cambodia Mine/UXO Victim Information System"[176]

The Ministry of Education, Youf and Sports is responsibwe for estabwishing nationaw powicies and guidewines for education in Cambodia. The Cambodian education system is heaviwy decentrawised, wif dree wevews of government, centraw, provinciaw and district – responsibwe for its management. The constitution of Cambodia promuwgates free compuwsory education for nine years, guaranteeing de universaw right to basic qwawity education, uh-hah-hah-hah.

The 2008 Cambodian census estimated dat 77.6% of de popuwation was witerate (85.1% of men and 70.9% of women).[1] Mawe youf age (15–24 years) have a witeracy rate of 89% compared to 86% for femawes.[177]

The education system in Cambodia continues to face many chawwenges, but during de past years dere have been significant improvements, especiawwy in terms of primary net enrowment gains, de introduction of program based-budgeting, and de devewopment of a powicy framework which hewps disadvantaged chiwdren to gain access to education, uh-hah-hah-hah. The country has awso significantwy invested in vocationaw education, especiawwy in ruraw areas, to tackwe poverty and unempwoyment. [178][179] Two of Cambodia's most accwaimed universities are based in Phnom Penh.

Wif respects to academic performance among Cambodian primary schoow chiwdren, research showed dat parentaw attitudes and bewiefs pwayed a significant rowe.[181] Specificawwy, de study found dat poorer academic achievement among chiwdren were associated wif parents howding stronger fatawistic bewiefs (i.e., human strengf cannot change destiny). The study furder found dat "wengf of residence" of parents in de community in which dey stay predicted better academic achievement among deir chiwdren, uh-hah-hah-hah. Overaww, de study pointed out to de rowe of sociaw capitaw in educationaw performance and access in de Cambodian society in which famiwy attitudes and bewiefs are centraw to de findings.

In 2012, Cambodia had a murder rate of 6.5 per 100,000 popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[182] There were a totaw of 964 murders in Cambodia in 2012.[182]

Prostitution is against de waw in Cambodia, yet is stiww prevawent. In a series of 1993 interviews of women about prostitution, dree qwarters of de interviewees found being a prostitute to be a norm and a profession dey fewt was not shamefuw having.[183] That same year, it was estimated dat dere were one hundred dousand sex workers in Cambodia.[183]

Ruraw Cambodians wear a krama scarf which is a uniqwe aspect of Cambodian cwoding. The sampeah is a traditionaw Cambodian greeting or a way of showing respect to oders. Khmer cuwture, as devewoped and spread by de Khmer empire, has distinctive stywes of dance, architecture and scuwpture, which have been exchanged wif neighbouring Laos and Thaiwand droughout history. Angkor Wat (Angkor means "city" and Wat "tempwe") is de best preserved exampwe of Khmer architecture from de Angkorian era awong wif hundreds of oder tempwes dat have been discovered in and around de region, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Traditionawwy, de Khmer peopwe have a recorded information on Tra weaves. Tra weaf books record wegends of de Khmer peopwe, de Ramayana, de origin of Buddhism and oder prayer books. They are taken care of by wrapping in cwof to protect from moisture and de cwimate.[184]

Bon Om Tuuk (Festivaw of Boat Racing), de annuaw boat rowing contest, is de most attended Cambodian nationaw festivaw. Hewd at de end of de rainy season when de Mekong river begins to sink back to its normaw wevews awwowing de Tonwe Sap River to reverse fwow, approximatewy 10% of Cambodia's popuwation attends dis event each year to pway games, give danks to de moon, watch fireworks, dine, and attend de boat race in a carnivaw-type atmosphere.[185]

Rice is de stapwe grain, as in oder Soudeast Asian countries. Fish from de Mekong and Tonwe Sap rivers is awso an important part of de diet. The suppwy of fish and fish products for food and trade as of 2000[update] was 20 kiwograms (44 pounds) per person or 2 ounces per day per person, uh-hah-hah-hah.[186] Some of de fish can be made into prahok for wonger storage.

French infwuence on Cambodian cuisine incwudes de Cambodian red curry wif toasted baguette bread. The toasted baguette pieces are dipped in de curry and eaten, uh-hah-hah-hah. Cambodian red curry is awso eaten wif rice and rice vermicewwi noodwes. Probabwy de most popuwar dine out dish, kuy teav, is a pork brofrice noodwesoup wif fried garwic, scawwions, green onions dat may awso contain various toppings such as beef bawws, shrimp, pork wiver or wettuce. Kampot pepper is reputed to be de best in de worwd and accompanies crab at de Kep crab shacks and sqwid in de restaurants on de Ou Trojak Jet river.[187] The cuisine is rewativewy unknown to de worwd compared to dat of its neighbours Thaiwand and Vietnam.

Cambodians drink pwenty of tea, grown in Monduwkiri Province and around Kirirom.[188]tai krowap is a strong tea, made by putting water and a mass of tea weaves into a smaww gwass, pwacing a saucer on top, and turning de whowe ding upside down to brew. When it’s dark enough, de tea is decanted into anoder cup and pwenty of sugar added, but no miwk. Lemon tea tai kdao kroich chhmaa, made wif Chinese red-dust tea and wemon juice, is refreshing bof hot and iced, and is generawwy served wif a hefty dose of sugar.[189]

Regarding coffee, de beans are generawwy imported from Laos and Vietnam – awdough domesticawwy produced coffee from Ratanakiri Province and Monduwkiri Province can be found in some pwaces. Beans are traditionawwy roasted wif butter and sugar, pwus various oder ingredients dat might incwude anyding from rum to pork fat, giving de beverage a strange, sometimes faintwy chocowatey aroma.[189]

Rice wine is a popuwar awcohowic drink. Its qwawity varies widewy and it is often infused wif fruits or medicinaw herbs.[192] When prepared wif macerated fruits or spices, wike de Sombai wiqweur, it is cawwed sraa tram (or soaked wine) and has gained more and more popuwarity wif de devewopment of tourism as it is smooder to drink dan pwain rice wine.[193][194][195]

Khmer women are traditionawwy supposed to be modest, soft-spoken, "wight" wawkers, weww-mannered,[196] industrious,[197] bewong to de househowd, act as de famiwy's caregivers and caretakers[196] and financiaw controwwers,[197] perform as de "preserver of de home", maintain deir virginity untiw marriage, become faidfuw wives,[196] and act as advisors and servants to deir husbands.[197] The "wight" wawking and refinement of Cambodian women is furder described as being "qwiet in […] movements dat one cannot hear de sound of deir siwk skirt rustwing".[197] As financiaw controwwers, de women of Cambodia can be identified as having reaw househowd audority at de famiwiaw wevew.[198]

Footbaww (soccer) is one of de most popuwar sports, awdough professionaw organised sports are not as prevawent in Cambodia as in western countries because of de economic conditions. Soccer was brought to Cambodia by de French and became popuwar wif de wocaws.[199] The Cambodia nationaw footbaww team managed fourf in de 1972 Asian Cup, but devewopment has swowed since de civiw war.

Cambodian dance can be divided into dree main categories: Khmer cwassicaw dance, fowk dance, and sociaw dances. The exact origins of Khmer cwassicaw dance are disputed. Most native Khmer schowars trace modern dance forms back to de time of Angkor, seeing simiwarities in de tempwe engravings of de period, whiwe oders howd dat modern Khmer dance stywes were wearned (or re-wearned) from Siamese court dancers in de 1800s.

Khmer cwassicaw dance is de form of stywised performance art estabwished in de royaw courts of Cambodia exhibited for bof entertainment and ceremoniaw purposes.[200] The dances are performed by intricatewy costumed, highwy trained men and women on pubwic occasions for tribute, invocation or to enact traditionaw stories and epic poems such as Reamker, de Khmer version of de Ramayana.[201] Known formawwy as Robam Preah Reach Trop (របាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ "deater of royaw weawf") it is set to de music of a pinpeat ensembwe accompanied by a vocaw chorus.

Cambodian fowk dance, often performed to mahori music, cewebrates de various cuwturaw and ednic groups of Cambodia. Fowk dances originated in de viwwages and are performed, for de most part, by de viwwagers for de viwwagers.[202] The movements are wess stywised and de cwoding worn is dat of de peopwe de dancers are portraying, such as hiww tribes, Chams or farmers. Typicawwy faster-paced dan cwassicaw dance, fowk dances dispway demes of de "common person" such as wove, comedy or warding off eviw spirits.[202]

Sociaw dances are dose performed by guests at banqwets, parties or oder informaw sociaw gaderings. Khmer traditionaw sociaw dances are anawogous to dose of oder Soudeast Asian nations. Exampwes incwude de circwe dancesRomvong and Romkbach as weww as Saravan and Lam Leav. Modern western popuwar dances incwuding Cha-cha, Bowero, and de Madison, have awso infwuenced Cambodian sociaw dance.

Traditionaw Cambodian music dates back as far as de Khmer Empire.[203] Royaw dances wike de Apsara Dance are icons of de Cambodian cuwture as are de Mahori ensembwes dat accompany dem. More ruraw forms of music incwude Chapei and A Yai. The former is popuwar among de owder generation and is most often a sowo performance of a man pwucking a Cambodian guitar (chapei) in between a cappewwa verses. The wyrics usuawwy have moraw or rewigious deme.

A Yai can be performed sowo or by a man and woman and is often comedic in nature. It is a form of wyricaw poetry, often fuww of doubwe entendres, dat can be eider scripted or compwetewy impromptu and ad-wibbed. When sung by a duo, de man and women take turns, "answering" de oder's verse or posing riddwes for de oder to sowve, wif short instrumentaw breaks in between verses. Pweng kaah (wit. "wedding music") is a set of traditionaw music and songs pwayed bof for entertainment and as accompaniment for de various ceremoniaw parts of a traditionaw, days-wong Khmer wedding.

Cambodian popuwar music is performed wif western stywe instruments or a mixture of traditionaw and western instruments. Dance music is composed in particuwar stywes for sociaw dances. The music of crooner Sinn Sisamouf and Ros Sereysodea from de 1960s to de 1970s is considered to be de cwassic pop music of Cambodia. During de Khmer Rouge Revowution, many cwassic and popuwar singers of de 1960s and 1970s were murdered, starved to deaf, or overwork to deaf by de Khmer Rouge.[204] and many originaw master tapes from de period were wost or destroyed.

In de 1980s, Keo Suraf, (a refugee resettwed in de United States) and oders carried on de wegacy of de cwassic singers, often remaking deir popuwar songs. The 1980s and 1990s awso saw de rise in popuwarity of kantrum, a music stywe of de Khmer Surin set to modern instrumentation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[205]

The Austrawian hip hop group Astronomy Cwass has recorded wif Kak Channdy, a native born Cambodian femawe singer.[206][207]

The Dengue Fever rock and roww band features a Cambodian femawe singer and back-up band from Cawifornia. It is cwassified as "worwd music" and combines Cambodian music wif Western stywe rock.

A Nationaw Committee for Science and Technowogy representing 11 ministries has been in pwace since 1999. Awdough seven ministries are responsibwe for de country’s 33 pubwic universities, de majority of dese institutions come under de umbrewwa of de Ministry of Education, Youf and Support.[208]

In 2010, de Ministry of Education, Youf and Support approved a Powicy on Research Devewopment in de Education Sector. This move represented a first step towards a nationaw approach to research and devewopment across de university sector and de appwication of research for de purposes of nationaw devewopment.[208]

This powicy was fowwowed by de country’s first Nationaw Science and Technowogy Master Pwan 2014–2020. It was officiawwy waunched by de Ministry of Pwanning in December 2014, as de cuwmination of a two-year process supported by de Korea Internationaw Cooperation Agency. The pwan makes provision for estabwishing a science and technowogy foundation to promote industriaw innovation, wif a particuwar focus on agricuwture, primary industry and ICTs.[208][209]

^Cuddy, Awice (2 June 2015). "Ruwe of waw rank near bottom". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 7 February 2016. The Worwd Justice Project's Ruwe of Law Index, which is based on surveys wif ordinary peopwe and in-country experts, ranks countries based on eight key indicators incwuding constraints on government powers, an absence of corruption, and reguwatory enforcement...In every factor measured, Cambodia scored de worst in de East Asia and Pacific region, where oder ranked nations incwude Myanmar, Vietnam and Mongowia....[w]here de ruwe of waw is weak, medicines faiw to reach heawf faciwities, criminaw viowence goes unchecked, waws are appwied uneqwawwy across societies, and foreign investments are hewd back.